Disney is taking fans back under the sea!
On Friday, the first trailer debuted for the upcoming live-actionThe Little Mermaid.
The clip begins with beautiful underwater wildlife being shown before giving a first look atHalle Baileyas mermaid princess Ariel. She gracefully flows through the water before she gets a peek of the sun and quickly swims up for a closer look. Bailey is then heard singing, “Out of the sea … ,” before viewers see her face for the first time, revealing her auburn red locks.
“Wish I could be, part of that world,” she soulfully continues from the classic “Part of Your World” song that was featured in the 1989 original.
Director Rob Marshall, who previously madeMary Poppins ReturnsandInto the Woodsfor Disney,toldVarietylast month about Bailey’s impressive audition for the role, recalling that he was “in tears because she’s so soulful.”
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“You could tell right away that she was able to harness Ariel’s passion, her fire, her soul, her joy and her heart,” said Marshall, 61, of the 22-year-old actress, who also stars in the upcomingThe Color Purplemovie musical. He added, “She looks stunning in red hair; not everybody does.”
Marshall teased that Bailey’s performance of the song “Part of Your World” is a particular standout in the movie.
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“[Halle] sings that moment up an octave from the original,” he said. “It’s the most chilling and the most thrilling film moment because it crystallizes not just her incredible vocal ability but the emotional passion she has in singing it.”
Bailey also toldVarietyabout breaking new ground and not lettingracist backlash to her castingbother her. Instead, she just hopes she can inspire young audiences with the representation.
“I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they’re special and that they should be a princess in every single way. There’s no reason that they shouldn’t be. That reassurance was something that I needed,” she said.
source: people.com
